Anyone applying to AIM Manila for 16 month MBA starting Aug 2007 session

[shekhar80]

Before apping, I'd written a mail to program co-ordinator of 16 month MBA program. asking him some questions. I'm pasting here the pointwise reply. Hope it might be of any use to u all.
Note: My questions are in bold.

> Dear Ravi,
>
> Thank you for your interest in AIM. Let's answer your questions.
>
> 1. I’ve approximately 4.5 years of work experience after completing my
> B. Tech. from IITG in 2002, am I eligible to apply?
>The MBA program requires an applicant to have at least two years work experience upon
> application. So you are eligible.
> 2. I’ll be writing GMAT in Jan, is it necessary to write AIMAT? If yes,
> then what is the next date for AIMAT in India? If you are taking the
> GMAT in January, you must have a score of at least 650.
> 3. By virtue of working in a PSU, shall I be eligible for ADB
> scholarship? If yes, how many scholarships are there? Several
> scholarships are available, but the competition is very intense. We
> encourage students to seek alternative sources of funds, such as
> corporate sponsorships or bank loans, to pay for tuition.
>
> 1. ADB Scholarship. The Asian Development Bank awards 12 full
> scholarships to the W. SyCip Graduate School of Business which
> includes tuition, board, and lodging.
> • Criteria: Below 35 years old; has not earned any master’s degree;
> hails from an ADB member country; and endorsed by the AIM Admissions
> Committee based on academic achievement and leadership promise.
> • 4 scholarships for incoming MM; 2 scholarships for incoming MBA;
> 6 scholarships currently reserved for the MBA 2nd term
>
> 2. WS GSB Scholarship. The W. SyCip Graduate School of Business awards
> to the Top 5% of the incoming batch a limited number of scholarships
> of 100% or 50% off tuition. To qualify, you must demonstrate academic
> and extra-curricular achievements, and show leadership promise.
> • Incoming MBA batch averages 100 students; incoming MM batch averages
> 35 students
> • Scholarship covers tuition only
>
> 4. What would be the fee for entire course? USD24,000 tuition fee
> 5. Will there be any summer internship as part of course? The
> internshipis from May - June (8weeks)
> 6. What would be the course structure like ? - 8 months of core courses,
> 2 months of internship, 6 months of electives (at AIM or if the
> student is qualified, exchange schools in USA, Europe and Asia)
> 7. Will AIM arrange placement services for the graduating class? For
> information regarding pleacement please check our link
> www.wsgsb.aim.edu.ph
>
> For more information please coordinate with Ms. Manjari Shivapuri and
> Mr. Damodar Udyawar of our India Rep Office at 91-22 6631 8070 / 6631
> 8071 or email them at aimbom@satyam.net.in or aimbom@hathway.com
>
> I have attached alist of requirements for your review. Should you have
> more questions, please email me.
>
> (See attached file: MBA MM Program requirements.doc)
>
> Good luck and we hope to see you in the next batch of students.
>
>
>
> Best regards,
> Melvyn

[shekhar80]

More Information related with AIM Manila.

This time I'm pasting here my mail (and its reply) that I'd written to one of the current student of AIM. Hope it'll answer some of the doubts in the minds of u all.

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This was my mail....
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I’m planning to undertake newly launched 16 month MBA degree from AIM Manila. However there are certain apprehensions in my mind regarding placement services of AIM MANILA. Whatever I’ve heard from my friends and read on MBA discussion forums, I’ve come to know that AIM does not conduct placement week vis-à-vis IIMs. Whats your take on this?? What are the opportunities available for AIM graduates in the area of finance???

I guess you are undergoing two year MBA, right? What is the total cost involved? Did you take any loan or you financed your MBA from your personal savings/contacts?

Actually, CAT ke chakkar me I have not yet written GMAT and hence could not apply to ISB for current session. At the same time I do not want to waste one more year. How do you’ll rate AIM vis-à-vis ISB?

There are so many questions that are coming to my mind, but I don’t want to bore you in my first mail itself. Hope you won’t mind answering trivial questions that I’ve asked here

Thanking you in anticipation of an early reply.

Ravi Shekhar
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and Reply
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Yes. AIM does not spoonfeed us for jobs like IIMs...........they focus more on quality of education on Harvard's pattern. Here 90% is case study.



This year, placement week was held and some around 20 companies have responded and many to come.............earlier it was totally bad.............but improving now under pressure from Indians. Batch strenght....average 80.



Here to get specialization in Finance, u will have to take CFA exam Part 1 apart from FM electives..................so extra load. Other specialization....Marketing and Entrepreneurship...........or else General Mgt



Next session onwards............MBA is 16 months ...............not 24 mnths as for us now. Average work exp is 4 years.



Total cost for MBA would come to nearly 15 L +/- 1L.



Take either GMAT online ( 650 plus safe) or else take AIMAT..........conducted in Nov and Jan...........comparatively very easy exam to crack. check for application on www.aim.edu soon for next session, July 2007.



OR write to Ms Twiggy / Mr Jeric on admissions@aim.edu for all information.



ISB has advantage of confirmed placement for all.............qualitywise I would still say AIM gives a fight to all other in Asia........brand is popular among corporates. Debate continues.



Also try for NUS, Singapore..............it has locational advantage.



Hope u get ur querries answered satisfactorily.............



Do let me knw if anything else,



Best of Luck,

[shekhar80]

Another mail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks a lot for your prompt reply.
I’ll be writing GMAT in the last week of Jan or first week of Feb. For Manila I’ll be writing AIMAT in Mumbai on 5th of Jan 2007.
I’m not that interested in NUS. Haven’t heard very good words about it. However everybody agrees that it has locational advantage vis-à-vis Manila. Though having a first hand experience of studying in Manila, your comments are more than Welcome .

Which stream you are specializing in?? and What are your plans?? Would you like to come back to India or looking for an opportunity in Singapore/East Asia?? What do Indian students mostly opt after graduation?

If AIM helps in anyway during summer internship/8 week vocational training? Where did you had yours?

What about Typhoon and cyclone?? If the place you are staying in, is safe in this respect? Where are you staying? In institute dormitory or outside??

How is the place like??? I saw some pictures of Manila and in that it seemed to be very much like our “Nariman Point”.
Somewhere I read that I should not except that AIM Manila has its own hundred’s of acre campus area, vis-à-vis top notch Indian universities. Instead it is a small one building college?? Really ???
What is the batch profile like ?? I read somewhere that most of the Filipino that join AIM, are from very rich family and hence not that serious?? Though I hardly believe it to be true, would like to know whats ur take on this?
One more thing, How important are the essays?? There are so many… 14 to be exact and I’ve got hardly 8 days to complete all of them

What else .. yes.. ur id is jha0073 and from here I’m getting a clue that you are 1973 born… How many years of work-ex you had when you joined this course and in which area? And yes, one very important question why did you opted for AIM only?? And what do you feel after you are half-way through your course…

Eagerly waiting for ur reply…

RAVI
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and its reply is
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Well Ravi.............you have a mix of right and wrong information..........well information r mostly individual perception based.

Let me try to answer your bundle of queries....................not in chronological order.

AIM recuits a batch of an average 80 , of which 50% r indians mostly. some may be koran, chinese, nepalese, bhutanese or a japanese. Rest Filipinos. Filipinos who r here are very rich but majority of them very intelligent too. Like many indians, many of filipinos have good analytical level and many creative guys and girls..............one thing sure.............Filipinas r very beautiful.............so if u r a bachelor, u never know, u will fall-in for one and settle down here...............hahahha. Filiinos mostly do MBA for family business. They r mostly into diffrenet league barring few who look for a job in campus.

Yes, AIM campus is very small but with all amenities including swiming pool. Sports r played in a ground nearby. Dormitory is 6 floor building inside campus. Rooms air conditioned. Location is far better than Nariman point. In fact Makati city is called mini-Newyork with all big shopping malls and skyrise buildings................college is surrounded by these malls in prime location..................i hope size does nt matter always. Dont worry for typhoon. We have seen two till date but it wont uproot you. Its just sea area so once in while typhoon...............All MNCs offices including Mckinsey, Bain and Co, BCG, HSBC, Deustch bank, Deloitte, P&G, Nestle , Unilever etc are located within 2 kms of our college....many just walking distance. You can develop good network wth them if u hav that urge to meet corporate people and do business networking.

Caseroom/ classrooms are in plenty on Harvard pattern..............as here 90% of classes r based on case discussion unlike IIMs whr emphasis on theory is more as Mr Dholakia frm IIMA said.

Based on first yr performance, u will have chance to go on exchange to diffrent best colleges in world......college has tie-up with including IIMA, IIMC, XLRI, Wharton, Bocconi, NUS, Mc Gill Canada etc etc. Right nw few frm IIMs, XLRI and Europe r here at AIM for 3 months on exchange with us.

I am doing MBA in General Management. My 9 years of work exp in sales/ marketing need to be converted into Gen Mgt I felt.

AIM provides major in Mkt, Finance, Entrepreneurship. But for major in Finance, you will have to clear CFA Part 1 for getting a certificate. CFA classes r organized inside campus. Mnay do CFA classes parallel to MBA classes.

Indians do try Finance major with CFA exams if they can take the heat. Many have succeeded.

College assists in internship but u have to make a parallel try for a company of your choice. I have not seen one who did not get a good company for intership either with college effort or personal effort. U need to take extra pain but u get it for sure. Things r not that lucknowabi-nawali style as in IIMs.....here u need to run around to get good ones. In my batch, guys did internship in HSBC-Singapore, Deustch, Unilever, Standard Chartered, Eli lily, Johnsn and Johnson, IBM, Oracle, PWC, Citibank, General Mills, Johnson electric, HongKong., Pfizer, TCS, Tata Motors, Genpact, Dell, Pepsi, Coke etc etc ..............extra effort pays...........but for sure. I did in General Mills International Inc, US in their Manila office. Now I am doing project with Unilever and earning good amount. Many r doing here and there to earn few extra bucks to pay off loans. U get a chance to earn while doing a project for some companies here. College does nt mind if it does not disturb your classes.

Going back to India or not depends on nature of job one gets. if people get job of their liking in Philippines or singapore, they stay back or else whr ever they get they join initially. There was no placement week earlier , but this year it has improved. it would improve further. AIM students are all in big companies in prime positions so brand is highly recognised in league with IIMA, Melbourne etc.

U r right- NUS has locational advantage in terms of companies.....but quality of AIM education is still revered especially for Finance, Entrepreneuship.............I am happy doing MBA here and once I get a job of my liking , then no regrets for why not in IIMs. IIMA has followed AIM's one yr program structure for its executive MBA recenty. Some IIMs profs were interviewed for profs jobs here but perhaps they r nrgotiating on high salary.

Dont worry. just write application. you still have time. for any query, shoot a mail to admissions@aim.edu

You need to decide whether you want to waste another one year trying CAT or get into a reputed college in Asia and completeMBA soon and get into mainstreams fast. Jobs will follow soon. Growth is confirmed with extra efforts. Remember, people give feedback based on their success or failure.

Good luck. I have tried to be exhaustive to answer your all queries. Hope it is ok
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God..... This guy was really gr8 yaar. I doubt if I can take this much pain to answer such kind of queries from any unknown. Thnx buddy.

[shekhar80]

Hello again,

While browsing through other threads related with AIM on PG, I got hold of this doc file. The file contains various details w.r.t. AIM Manila. However, this information is more than 2 years old. Even then I think it'll be of some help to all the visitors of this thread.

[avi_15]

hey shekhar......i must say..gr8 piece of info...lets hope for the best for the short list arriving on 22 jan......all the best till then....any idea how many ppl have applied for AIM from india this year...i mean any wierd guess??

[shekhar80]

Originally Posted by avi_15

hey shekhar......i must say..gr8 piece of info...lets hope for the best for the short list arriving on 22 jan......all the best till then....any idea how many ppl have applied for AIM from india this year...i mean any wierd guess??

Why weired guess, confirmed no is about 270-280. Actually I too was interested in knowing how intense is the competition. So asked the same question directly to Mr. Damodar, director of India Representative office and he replied that by 5th of Jan he has forwarded approx 270-280 completed application to AIM Manila. Last year interview calls were sent to approx 170-180 students. As for the current batch, AIM Manila is targetting approx 40-45 students from India.

[rvalecha]

Hi Guys

Brief about me

I have admit for MM since last year which I had deffered for year. I would be taking admission for 07-08 batch. I am currently working with MNC Bank as Product Manager. In all 7 year Banking experience.

All the very best to you guys for your interviews and hope to see you at AIM, Manila


Regards
Ravi Valecha

[rvalecha]

hi

There is an earlier thread on PG on AIM, manila created by last 06 batch.

Also there was yahoo group aimmba2008@yahoogroups.com. Lot of information...

Ravi

[shekhar80]

Originally Posted by rvalecha

hi

There is an earlier thread on PG on AIM, manila created by last 06 batch.

Also there was yahoo group aimmba2008@yahoogroups.com. Lot of information...

Ravi

Hi Ravi,
Not only we share our name, we are even applying for the same MBA college. Gr8.
There is an earlier thread, but I don't know whats wrong with that thred, whenever, I try to open it "Symantec" comes out with an error page that "it contains some prohibited words". Who so ever is trying to open that thred from office and has symantec firewall installed there will encounter same error message. also, there is not much activity on that thread. So better continue with this thread.

By the way, we would be glad if you share your last year GD and interview experience with us. and also we would like to know what held you from joining AIM last year and why have you decide to join it this year ?

[shekhar80]

Originally Posted by rvalecha

hi

There is an earlier thread on PG on AIM, manila created by last 06 batch.

Also there was yahoo group aimmba2008@yahoogroups.com. Lot of information...

Ravi

I would like to become a member of this group. Can you please give the invitation link ?? or a mail from my yahoo id with "join" as subject will do the job ???